Cambodia Eagles take Indochina Cup in Myanmar

The Myanmar Fighting Cocks ruck against the Cambodia Eagles during the Indochina Cup on November (Photos: Aung Khant / The Myanmar Times)

It was a beautiful day for footy, with the Vietnam Swans, Thailand Tigers and Cambodian Eagles all competing well in a close day, with two wins each making the final game came down to percentage!

Hosting November 12’s Indochina Cup in Yangon for the first time in the club’s four-year history Myanmar’s Fighting Cocks floundered out of the gate. Three straight losses in the qualifying stages relegated the Tai Kyet to the sidelines.

Kids who participated in the AusKick clinic cheer on the Tai Kyet from the sidelines.

The Cambodia Eagles won a hard-fought championship match against the Thai Tigers, 4.3.27 to 3.2.20.

While the Cambodian Eagles celebrated their first Indochina Cup title victory with their club song, the Fighting Cocks were left to contemplate a season that featured many ups and downs. After reaching the Asia Championships B Division Grand Final in October, the club had entered the weekend tournament with a .500 record over its last six matches.

But with All Asia representative Junior Combo unavailable to play in the Indochina Cup – as well as ruckmen Joe Allen and former captain Andrew Romanin – the undermanned squad failed to score even a single goal in three games of play.

Club President Henry Cox (right) is tackled by two players for the Vietnam Swans.

Captain Dan Clery summed up the day on a positive note, however, noting some progress.

“Finishing 0-3 on our home turf was disappointing,” he said. “We were missing a few key players and that made a big difference on the day. However, that meant we were able to get some more game time into our new recruits and particularly our three Myanmar players, who all improved as the day went on.”

Cambodia Eagles players swarm a Thai Tiger in the Indochina Cup Final, which they would go on to win for the first time in club history.

Story From Myanmar Times , edited by AFL Asia | Photos: Aung Khant / The Myanmar Times